STATE CHECKING LICENSE OF TRIBAL GAMING OFFICIAL

LYN BIXBY; Courant Staff WriterTHE HARTFORD COURANT

State officials are looking into a report that the executive director of the Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Commission failed to disclose information about lawsuits against him on his application for a state casino license.

Samuel J. Grillo supervises a staff of more than 50 for the tribal agency, which shares regulatory responsibility over Foxwoods Resort Casino with the state Division of Special Revenue.

Foxwoods' employees are licensed by Grillo's commission as well as by the special revenue division.

Grillo, a former New London police officer, does not need a state license for his present position, but he did apply for a state license in 1992 when he was hired as a gaming commission inspector.

George Wandrak, deputy director of the special revenue division, said state police picked up Grillo's licensing paperwork Monday and reopened their background investigation of him in response to questions raised by The Day newspaper of New London.

One question asked of applicants for state licenses is whether they have been sued. Though Grillo answered "no" in 1992, The Day reported Saturday that several Superior Court lawsuits had been filed that led to judgments against him. The newspaper said two of the cases involved debt collection, and a third grew out of a divorce.

Responding to the newspaper's disclosures, Wandrak said Grillo told him he had been divorced four times and did not consider those actions to be lawsuits. Wandrak said Grillo told him he was not aware of any collection lawsuits against him when he made out his application for a state license.

In a letter to state officials dated Friday, Grillo acknowledged he "may have been mistaken" in his 1992 application and confirmed two problems with debts, one for falling behind in payments on a car and another for a disputed bill from a lawyer.

"It was never my intent to leave out any relative information required by the disclosure application," Grillo wrote.

While the state police look into the situation, Grillo will continue to supervise the staff at the Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Commission, Bruce MacDonald, a tribal spokesman, said Monday.

MacDonald said Grillo "feels that he did not get his state license under any false representation and he says he is not in violation of any state gaming laws."